Shattered Ties (Extended Version)
by Jedi-lover
Summary: VOTF time frame an accident puts Mara and Luke's engagement on hold.
1. Chapter 1

_**This fanfic started out as a short story that was posted in my Jedi Vignettes section, but some people wanted me to continue the story. So this is the original story and then I will add chapters as I go along.**_

_**~JL~**_

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Water…Luke dreamt of cold water rushing over and around his body, water so frigid he actually shivered within the dream. A small smile graced his lips as he thought of his friend Mara. No, that's not right—his fiancé, Mara Jade.

'_Mara…will you marry me?'_

'_You mean if we get out of here alive?'_

'_I mean regardless.'_

"_Yes…I will.'_

The sensation of freezing water running over his face increased until he abruptly awoke, cold, shivering and half submerged in water, his head and chest resting on a rock outcrop. He looked around in confusion before he remembered where he was. He was on the planet Nirauan. Specifically, in the caverns under the fortress called The Hand of Thrawn. He had fought Sentry droids…he and Mara.

"Mara!" he jolted to an upright position and scanned the dark flooded cavern desperately. He reached into his pocket and pulled out and activated a glow rod. It illuminated the large underground grotto as water swirled around the rocks and stalagmites on the cave floor. In the dim light he could see Mara floating face up in the water, her skin pale, and looking lifeless. It was exactly like the vision he had of her while he was on Tierfon.

"Oh no! Mara!" He splashed through the water as fast as he could. He had put her in a hibernation trance, but he lost his grip on her in their journey through the rushing current.

'_Gods, what if it didn't work?' _he thought panicked.

He scooped her up in his arms calling her name. "Wake up Mara." When she didn't move dread quickly set in. "Mara, wake up!" Luke heard Artoo twittering somewhere in the cavern trying to tell him something. Luke didn't understand what was said, but it reminded him that they had arranged to use a phrase to take her out of the trance. A smile flashed across his face as he said the words, "I love you, Mara."

He waited for a second for her to recover, but she remained still. "Mara, I love you. I love you, Mara." Luke repeated urgently. "Oh no!" He scooped her up into his arms and moved her to an area where he could do rescue breathing. He placed his lips over hers and blew, filling her lungs full of air. He checked for breathing and a pulse and when he found none he repeated his action and then started chest compressions. "Please Mara, wake up! I love you, Mara. Mara! I love you!"

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* * *

_**Coruscant Medical Center:**__** Nerve-Regeneration Therapy Ward**_

Luke sat next to Mara Jade's bedside at the medical center. He rarely left her alone since her near drowning. That awful day on Nirauan was permanently burned into his memory. After what seemed like an eternity performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation he finally found a pulse and got her breathing on her own, but she remained unconscious. He quickly put her in a healing trance and got her to a New Republic medical center as soon as possible.

The prognosis was not promising. She was without oxygen for quite some time and there was severe damage to her brain. Luke took some comfort in the fact that Mara had already successfully undergone neural regenerative therapy in the past. The doctor said that was a good sign and indicator that her body is receptive to the therapy. She completed the treatment days ago and Luke was told she should come out of her coma soon. It wasn't soon enough for Luke; as the hours crept by he became more anxious by the moment. Mara lay on the bed surrounded by medical equipment and monitors. One machine beeped at a slow, steady pace as it tracked her heart rate. There was an IV running into her right arm and other tubes and wires running under the gray sheets she slept under. Her dip in the bacta tank had cleared up her multiple bruise and abrasions she suffered during their underground journey and the blaster burn in her shoulder she received from the Hand the Thrawn guards earlier in their adventure had totally healed.

"I thought I'd find you here." Luke's attention quickly turned to the room entrance where his sister Leia stood along with her husband Han Solo. "Luke, you need to go home for a while and get some sleep," Leia said as the two entered the hospital room and sat down in the chairs next to Luke.

The Jedi shook his head miserably. "I can't Leia. I don't want her to wake up alone."

Leia reached over and put a hand on his shoulder and gave him a compassionate smile. "She won't be alone. She has an entire medical staff dedicated to her and they'll notify you immediately when she wakes up."

Luke took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "No, I can't leave." He looked over to his sister. "Maybe you can bring me fresh clothing. I've been showering here, but I didn't pack enough outfits."

"I'll do that," she nodded with an air of sympathy. "Luke, it's not your fault she was injured. You did your best in a difficult situation."

Luke fought to keep his voice steady. "Unfortunately, my best wasn't good enough."

Leia sighed dejectedly as she looked down to her chrono on her wrist. "Luke, I have a meeting at the Senate. When I'm done I'll swing by your apartment and pick up a couple changes of clothing for you."

Luke gave her a sad smile. "Thanks, Leia."

She stood and gave him a kiss on the cheek and then turned to her husband and gave him a brief kiss on the lips. "Watch him," she whispered before she left.

As Leia left the room, Han turned to face Luke. "Now that your sister's gone, maybe you wouldn't mind telling me what is really going on between you and Mara."

Luke squirmed in his seat. He hadn't told anybody about his engagement to Mara Jade. If she, Force-forbid, didn't make it, he didn't want anybody's pity. "What do you mean?"

Han rolled his eyes in an exaggerated gesture. "Luke, I've checked on you a few times in the last week and you never once noticed me. I am standing in the door and you are sitting next to Mara with your head in your hands and looking at the floor. How does a guy like me sneak up on a Jedi Master and walk away without you knowing…this has you tied up in knots…more so than when she had her first neural regenerative therapy. I never seen you so distracted."

"Of course I'm distracted my friend is injured and we don't know if she'll recover." Luke's voice took a defensive tone.

Han put his hands up in a surrender gesture. "Whoa, I'm not saying that you wouldn't we concerned about a friend. I know her injury is upsetting, but the things I heard you say to her while she slept tells me she is more than a friend."

Luke let out a sharp breath. "What did you hear Han?"

Han rubbed his temples and looked like he wasn't going to answer. "Not much. Once I realized you were talking to her I would walk away…but once I heard you say that you loved her."

Luke's head dropped, but he felt the tension seep from his body at the prospect of talking to somebody about this. "It's true. I love her and we're engaged to be married."

Han sat back in his chair. "Okay," he said slowly. "That I didn't expect. I didn't even know you two were dating."

Luke glanced down at the floor. "We weren't."

"Weren't what?" Han asked confused.

"We never dated," Luke clarified.

Han gave him a perplexed look. "You never dated, but you're getting married. That doesn't sound like something you would do and it _definitely_ doesn't sound like something Mara would do. When did this happen?"

Luke ran his hand over his face not wanting to answer. "Remember when I told you we were trapped in the room filling up with water?"

Han nodded. "Yeah, you both thought you were goners."

Luke heaved a sigh. "It was then. We experienced a deep Force bonding while fighting the sentry droids and I realized I never wanted to be without her, so I proposed."

Han winced. "Couldn't you wait until you were out of there? That's not the best timing."

Luke's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean by that?"

Han adverted his eyes. "Nothing, I just thought you would find a more romantic place and time."

Luke frowned. "That is not what you were thinking." He looked to Mara and then back to Han. "You think she said yes because she thought we were going to die…she agreed so I would die happy?"

Han shook his head and looked like he would rather be thrown into a rancor pit than have this conversation. "Forget I said anything, kid."

He stood to leave but Luke grabbed the sleeve of his shirt pulled him back down into his seat. "It's not like that Han. We bonded in the Force. It is something special. It is a very rare event between Force users. I read only a few Apprentices and Masters experienced such an intense bonding. It binds your soul together. To be apart would be unbearable."

"Maybe Mara knew that," Han said softly.

Luke was getting a little irritated. "What are you saying?"

Han stood up looking terribly uncomfortable. "Luke, I don't know this Force stuff and this is none of my business. You caught me off guard with the marriage proposal and I just blabbered my mouth without thinking like I always do. That's why your sister is the politician and I'm not. I really don't understand this bonding you are talking about, maybe it's best to talk to another Jedi." Han was backing out of the door as he made the last remark. "Sorry Luke, I have to go." Han said and then quickly moved down the hall.

Luke sighed and sat back down. He scooted his chair closer to Mara's and clasped her hand in his gently. "You'll wake up Mara. You'll be alright and we can get married." He leaned down and gently kissed the palm of her hand and then he laid his head down on the bed and eventually sleep found him.

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* * *

He woke sometime later by somebody poking him in the head. "Farmboy, wake up." There was another light pat on the side of his head before he sat up abruptly, looking disheveled and with lines across his face where the fabric of the hospital blanket made an imprint.

"Huh," he said groggily. He looked over and realized Mara was sitting up in bed and smirking at him. "Mara!" he shouted as he quickly rose, grabbed her in his arms and delivered a firm kiss on the lips.

He could feel Mara stiffen in his arms as she gently pushed him away. "Luke!" she stared at him in shock. "With that kind of greeting I must have been at death's door." She looked around the hospital room. "What happened?"

"What happened?" Luke frowned. "What's the last thing you remember?" he asked with much apprehension. The doctors said she might show some confusion and possible memory loss, but nobody knew how pronounced it would be.

Mara looked up at the ceiling in thought. "The last thing I remember is you putting me in a trance."

A wide smile blossomed across Luke's face. That meant she remembered their bonding and his proposal.

Mara looked to her shoulder. "It looks like the healing trance worked. My shoulder is healed."

Luke stood dead still. "What?"

She rubbed her shoulder that was shot by the Empire of the Hand guards. "My shoulder feels good. Thanks."

Luke's heart sunk. "Mara, you don't remember fighting the sentry droids or the generator chamber filling with water?"

She looked at him blankly. "No should I?"

Luke groaned and sat down. "I was hoping you would…because you had accepted my marriage proposal."

Mara broke out in laughter, but when she saw he wasn't laughing she went quiet. "What?"

Luke leaned back in his chair. "We experienced an intense Force bonding and we decided to be together forever."

Mara shook her head. "A bonding? What type of bonding?"

He looked up into her eyes. "Relax and I'll see if it is still there." He reached out with the Force and suddenly their minds were joined.

Mara's eyes went wide with panic. "Get out! Get out of my head!" She put her hands to the side of her temples as if trying to physically ward him off. Luke pulled away quickly. "Oh kriff!" Mara was hyperventilating and was actually shaking from the experience. Her head shot up and she glared at him. "Never, ever do that again. Kriff! I feel… violated."

Luke sat back into his seat suddenly nauseous. His world was crumbling under his feet and he felt like half of him died at that very moment. "Mara…" was all he could say before words failed him.

Her eyes turned hard. "Get out."

Luke didn't move. He didn't think his legs had the strength to hold him steady. "Mara…" he muttered again his voice tinged with pain and despair.

She squeezed her temples with her fingers and then looked back up at Luke, her features softening slightly. "Please Luke. Give me some space. Maybe at the time that this bonding occurred it was tolerable to me, but not now…not today."

Luke slowly stood and nodded in understanding. When he got to the door he looked back. "Can I come back tomorrow?"

She closed her eyes as if in pain. "I'll call you when I'm ready."

He gave a forlorn nod and left. As he walked down the hall he recalled all his failed relationships with women. Every one of his girlfriends had either died or had something heartbreaking befall them. He had worried that dating Mara would curse her, doom her to a tragic end…and he was right. He should have never attempted a relationship with her. It was doomed to fail. And now he was burdened with an unbreakable bond with a woman who didn't love him or want him. The thought was crushing his soul and he knew things would never be the same.

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* * *

Mara hadn't been back in her apartment more than a few days before she was visited by Han Solo. She opened her apartment door and greeted a very upset looking Corellian smuggler. "Can I come in to talk Jade?"

She didn't want to talk to him. She knew this was about Luke and that was one subject she didn't relish discussing. After Luke left her hospital room she refused to accept calls or visits from the Jedi. She did listen to his voice messages and the things he said broke her heart. He loved her, she could hear it in his voice and even from a distance she could feel it in the Force.

She couldn't see a way out of this mess.

Luke's love was unreciprocated. She liked him. She even enjoyed his company and sometimes she would reluctantly admit to herself that she found him attractive, but she didn't love him and without love she wasn't going to talk about his proposal or marriage.

"What is it Solo? If this is about Luke, forget it. I don't know what he told you, but I am not entertaining any of his fantasies."

Han walked past her and into her apartment uninvited. Normally Mara would protest and throw his sorry behind out of the building, but lately she found herself not having the strength to do much of anything. This situation was taking a toll on her mentally and spiritually also.

She sighed. "Fine, come in." She walked to the back kitchen. "Do you want a drink? I have juice or whiskey."

Han shook his head and uncharacteristically turned down an alcoholic beverage. "No, I need you to come with me to see Luke."

"Oh no, I'm not." She said matter-of-factly as she folded her arms across her body defensively. She expected him to yell or threaten, but what he did do caught her completely off guard. He dropped down on her couch and buried his head in his hands and begged. "Please Mara. If you have any feelings for Luke, please talk to him." Han looked up to her his eyes imploring. "Leia doesn't know about the proposal, but I do. I know what he's going through. When Leia almost left me for Prince Isolder I cracked and kidnapped her. I could have been thrown in jail for the rest of my life."

Mara scoffed. "I'd like to see Luke try that with me."

Han shook his head. "He won't, he's not like me. I gamble and I never consider the odds." Han sat back on the couch and gave her a sad gaze. "Luke withdraws. You saw what happened when Callista left. That was bad, but in the last week…"

"What happened in the last week?" Mara asked as concern for her friend crept into her consciousness.

"I think he's dying of a broken heart," Han said and the way he said it told Mara he wasn't trying to be overly dramatic. "He's holed up in his apartment. I went in to see him and he's always passed out drunk. It doesn't look like he ate, slept or bathed since he last saw you." Han looked her in the eye. "Jade, you have to remember that whatever happened between you two and the Force on Nirauan was not of his making. You can't blame him for what happened. But I can tell you one thing…it would have never happened if he didn't go to rescue you."

"Oh, so this is entirely my fault," Mara shot back defensively.

"No, but it would have never happened if he didn't go rescue you. He wouldn't be in his apartment drinking himself to death. You have an obligation to at least talk to him. I'm not asking anything more of you. Tell him you aren't marrying him, but at least give him some closure and please…please try to keep your friendship intact. Totally cutting him off like this is killing him." He stood and walked over to Mara. "Please come with me to see him…before he does something stupid."

Mara groaned. "Skywalker is always doing something stupid."

Han nodded. "I know. Will you come with me?"

Mara chewed on her bottom lip in thought. Eventually she nodded. "Yes."

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* * *

They arrived at Luke's apartment and Han leaned on the door indicator hoping to wake the Jedi. Eventually he gave up and used the keypad to unlock the door and entered the small apartment. Luke had closed all the drapes and shades making the residence dark and gloomy. Upon entering, Mara immediately sensed the smell of alcohol. As her eyes adjusted she could see two or three empty whiskey bottles sitting on tables and counters. She could hear a soft snore coming from the living room couch. Mara and Han walked over and found Luke asleep in an upright position, his head tilted back and resting on the back couch cushion. Mara shook her head sadly. "He is in bad shape."

"I know," Han whispered in the dim light.

"He's probably in no condition to talk," Mara remarked.

Han pointed to the kitchen. "I'll make some caf and we can try to wake him."

She shook her while looking at the sleeping Jedi. "No, I'll stay here and wait until he sleeps off this hangover. You can go."

When Han didn't move she turned to him and gave him a defeated look. "I won't leave until we talk, Han. I promise." She turned to gaze at Luke. "You're right. If I didn't need rescuing he wouldn't be in this predicament."

"Okay," Han said as he moved toward the exit. "Call me if you need anything." He then left Mara and Luke alone.

Mara sighed and sat down next to Luke and hoped he would wake up sooner-than-later.

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* * *

Mara woke up with a start. For a moment she didn't know where she was, but as she gazed around the unfamiliar surroundings she remembered she was in Skywalker's apartment. She felt weight on her legs and looked down to find Luke's head in her lap as he slept. She realize he must have fell over from his upright position at some point. Her immediate instinct was to stand up and let him fall to the ground, but she hesitated. He looked so…peaceful when he slept. Even with a week of facial stubble on his face and the smell of booze on his shirt it didn't detract from his ever-present Farmboy charm.

She sighed and gently ran her fingers through his blond hair. It was something she always wanted to do, but she never would admit that to him…ever. Eventually Luke's eyes fluttered open and he looked up at her, his eyes glazed over by too much alcohol. He smiled. "I must have finally drunk myself to death."

"Why do you think that?" she asked.

"Because I'm in the arms of an angel." He gave a drunken grin.

Mara rolled her eyes. "What greeting card did you get that sappy sentiment from?"

He laughed and then looked at her intently. "Is this another dream?"

She shook her head. "No, I was just ready to talk to you." She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Luke, I can't do this bonding thing with you...not yet...maybe not ever, but I want to remain friends."

Luke nodded as he slowly sat up. He had a forced smile on his face, but she can tell he was terribly disappointed. "Luke, I sometimes wish I didn't forget," she said slowly and hesitantly. "It sounds like such a quick and easy way to get over years of deeply ingrained protective behaviors...but those barriers are still here with me now. The doctors said the damage was severe and I would never remember those moments you so cherish." She paused in thought. "Was I happy?"

"What?" he asked.

"In the short time that we bonded, was I happy?"

He smiled. "We both were."

She gave him a steady gaze. "The Force flipped a switch and changed me...but fate changed me back. Why?"

He shrugged sadly. "I sometimes think the Force doesn't want me to be happy, to have a family. It likes to take away the people I love." He pulled his hand through his hair in frustration. "Why it decided to give me a glimpse of happiness and then take it away...I have no idea."

"Maybe it was a mistake...maybe it was never meant to be."

He shook his head adamantly and she could see him wince from the movement. "No, it was no mistake. We completed each other. Together we made a stronger whole. Mara…we loved each other." Luke's composure faltered as tears ran down his cheeks.

Mara gazed as her friend sadly and put out her arms offering a hug. He leaned into her arms and laid his head on her shoulder. She could feel him take shuddering breaths and she knew he was crying. She gave him a warm embrace. "Luke, Luke please…please don't let this destroy you."

"It's too late," he said sadly.

She had never heard him so defeated. This wasn't the man she once knew. This wasn't the Luke Skywalker who could crush AT-AT's with a wave of his hand or walk across Lava. The galaxy needed _that_ man and she'd be damned if he disappeared on her watch. She pushed him away far enough so she can look him in the eye. "No, it's not too late." She said each word firmly and with emphasis. "You are just going to have to man up and do things the hard way. No Force arranged marriage for you. You are going to have to ask me out, convince me you are the man of my kriff'n dreams. You need to do what every other male in this galaxy has to do to get a mate. You have to woo the woman. You have to take a risk."

Luke tried to stifle a bleak laugh. "I'm to woo Mara Jade. That's a risk I might not survive," he said pessimistically.

She stood up and straightened her clothing. "Well, Skywalker, I suggest you grow a pair and start taking risks." She smirked. "For Force sake, Han kidnapped Leia when it looked like he was going to lose her. What do you do? You sit in your apartment drinking and feeling sorry for yourself. Some Jedi."

Luke sighed. "I thought you were here to comfort me."

She scoffed. "Luke, I don't do hurt/comfort scenarios very well. Instead I am giving you a chance to win my heart." She leaned over and grabbed the front of his shirt and pulling him to his feet. Her face was inches from his as she gave a predatory grin. She leaned in and whispered in his ear. "I'm on planet for the next twenty-eight days. The chrono is ticking."

She pulled away with a smirk, then turned and walked to his apartment door. Before she left she gave a stunned Luke Skywalker a wink, "Good Luck."

Luke stared at the closing door dumbfounded. He was unsure if what just happened was real or an alcohol induced illusion.

He smiled widely. _'It doesn't matter if it was a dream or not. It's what I need to do,' _he thought.

He had a goal and a purpose and he _would_ pursue his dream...even if it killed him…but, what a way to go.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Chapter two**_

The next morning the door chime woke Luke. He sat up in bed and grimaced at the pain of his hangover. He hadn't had anything to drink since Mara showed up the night before, but he was so intoxicated at that time that he wouldn't be surprised if he remained buzzed for the rest of the day. He slowly sat up and reached out with the Force to attempt to ascertain the identity of the person outside. He smiled when he realized it was Han. He got out of bed and stumbled over to the door. He was wearing a t-shirt and boxer briefs, but he was also hung over enough to not care.

He opened the door and ushered the older man into his apartment. "Come on in," he said.

"I just want to make sure you're all right." Han looked at his brother-in-law and smiled broadly. "You are looking better today. At least you are upright and mobile."

Luke gave a sad sigh. "Yeah, I guess I didn't handle my depression very well." He flopped down on his couch and gave Han a knowing look. "You let Mara into my apartment last night, didn't you?"

Han gave a lopsided grin and a slight shrug of his shoulders. "Yeah, that's why I'm here…to see if you survived the encounter."

Luke laughed and then leaned forward and gave Han a quizzical look. "How'd you get her here?"

Han smirked. "I stunned her and dragged her unconscious body to your apartment. I'll tell ya, the Skytaxi driver that brought us over gave me some dirty looks."

Luke guffawed. "Yeah, as if you would be alive today if you did. No really, how'd you do it?"

Han's smile slipped from his face. "I told her you weren't handling what happened very well and asked her to talk to you. I'm sure she cares about you Luke, but your talk about love and marriage spooked her." Han went over and sat next to the Jedi. "How did things go with you two?"

Luke grinned. "She told me I'm not going to get a Force arranged marriage and I should grow a pair and ask her out."

"So are you?"

"What? Grow a pair or ask her out?" Luke said with a chuckle.

"Both?"

"I plan on sobering up a bit more and then go over to talk to her."

Han nodded his head. "Luke, if it still doesn't work out between you two…are you going to be okay?"

The Jedi shrugged. "I think I will always feel connected to her. My bond with her is still strong. I can feel her now, on planet, her emotions churning…" He trailed off in thought. "I would love to have her as my wife…but if that's not to be… if I can at least keep her as a friend…that would be enough, I think."

"How long is she going to be on planet?" Han asked.

Luke's tone became serious, "Twenty-eight…no, now it is twenty-seven days."

Han groaned. "That's not much time to convince a woman you are her soul mate"

Luke slouched on the couch looking defeated. "I know."

Han stood and reached out to give Luke's shoulder a friendly squeeze. "You better not waste any time then." Han gave Luke a thumbs-up and then walked to the door, but then paused and turned to Luke. "Remember, if you need any relationship advice you know who to come to."

Luke laughed, "Yeah Lando."

Han scowled. "Funny…Lando's not married and I happened to hook up with the most beautiful Princess in the Galaxy…so if you need help, just let me know."

"Thanks Han." Luke smiled. "I'll need all the help I can get."

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* * *

Luke stood outside Mara Jade's apartment trying to screw up his courage to ring the door buzzer. When she left his apartment the night before he was determined to woo her like any other man…but then he remembered she wasn't any other woman!

This was Mara Jade, Emperor's Hand, and a Force strong woman. She was hard headed, stubborn and sometimes downright dangerous to be around. She wasn't going to respond to his advances. She wasn't in awe of his celebrity as a war hero and Jedi. In fact, it was almost like she abhorred those qualities in him. "What am I doing?" he whispered to himself in near panic.

At that moment Mara Jade opened up her door. She scowled at him, arms akimbo and looking annoyed. "Even without a bond with you I can feel your nervousness seeping into my apartment. What do you want?"

Luke gave her a sheepish grin. "I thought we could spend some time together. Last night you said I should take risks."

She scoffed. "I thought it would take a little longer for you to build up the courage to come over."

Luke smirked as he held up a bottle of Ruge. "I have a bottle of liquid courage and I took your advice and grew a pair." Luke tried to keep a straight face but he couldn't do it. "They are coming in quite nicely."

Mara tried not to laugh as she grabbed to bottle out of his hand. "You can come in, but no alcohol for you. I think you had enough for the rest of the year."

Luke walked into her apartment while nodding. "True, true…but I didn't want to show up empty handed. Maybe we can share the bottle the night before you leave…that is if you haven't killed me by then."

"That's a big if," she said flippantly as she put the bottle of wine in her kitchen's cooling unit. "Go ahead and sit down."

Luke sat on his couch feeling extremely nervous. Mara came back from the kitchen with two bottles of flavored water and sat across from him on an easy chair. "So," she said slowly as she handed him a bottle. "Why are you here?"

"To woo you." Luke said matter-of-factly.

"You are going to woo me," Mara repeated sounding amused.

"Sure, I know how to woo a woman."

"What woman have you successfully wooed?" Mara asked with a smirk. "Don't you usually find them trapped in a computer?"

Luke shook his head. "No, sometimes I find them tied to a tree."

Mara burst out in laughter. "Seriously, what's going on inside that Farmboy mind of yours?"

"I thought we could go dancing, dinner, a holo?"

She thought about it. "I don't know."

Luke leaned forward and stared at her intently. "Mara, it was you that suggested I ask you on a date to win your heart. Please give me a chance."

She sighed. "Okay, how about lunch tomorrow and maybe a matinee holofilm?"

Luke looked disappointed. "I thought we could do something tonight."

Mara shook her head. "I already ate and I don't feel like going out."

Luke shook his head glumly. "Okay," he stood from the couch. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow." He raised his bottled water. "Thanks for the drink."

"That doesn't mean we can't talk," Mara pointed out.

Luke smiled as he sat back down. "I'd love to talk."


	3. Chapter 3

_**CHAPTER THREE**_

Luke leaned back on Mara's couch and gazed at her totally smitten by her beauty. Her reddish gold hair wasn't tied back tonight but flowed over her shoulders loose and silken and just begging to be touched. Her deep green eyes glowed with a hint of amusement.

"You have no idea as to what to talk about? Do you?" She said with a grin.

Her words brought him out of his reverie as he realized he had no inkling as to what topic would be considered 'safe' or 'appropriate' at this precarious juncture of their relationship. He wanted to talk about his love for her and his hopes for the future, but Han was right, all his talk about love and marriage spooked Mara and she wasn't a person who frightened easily. He would have to proceed cautiously. His throat felt suddenly dry and he took a long sip of the water she gave him earlier as he desperately thought of a topic.

"Mara…when our bonding occurred on Nirauan, we knew everything about each other, but your injury made you forget. I know you don't want to attempt the bonding again like we did in the hospital, but I would like it if you knew me better." He hesitated as he tried to gauge her reaction so far. "Is there anything you would like to know about me? I'm willing to be totally open and honest with you."

Mara raised an eyebrow and gave him a skeptical look. "Are you saying you will answer all of my questions, no matter what it is, truthfully?"

The way she said that made Luke reconsider the offer, but it didn't seem fair that he knew every intimate detail about her life and she knew very little about him. He swallowed a lump in his throat as he nodded his head. "Yes."

Mara smirked and opened her mouth to say something, but Luke held out his hands stopping her. "Mara…if you wouldn't mind…please be gentle with me."

She chuckled. "Okay, I'll start with an easy question. When you were a child…what did you want to be when you grew up?"

A wide grin blossomed across his face. "That's easy, a pilot. I was always told my father was a navigator of a freighter. I pictured a life piloting a ship from one side of the galaxy to the other. I dreaded the thought of living my life on Tatooine, scratching out a minimal existence on a moisture farm…everyday the same thing—check the evaporators, repair the evaporators, then sell the water. It was boring and lonely." He looked down and frowned. "I hate to admit it, but I was sometimes angry at my Uncle for not moving us into the city and taking a normal job." He shook his head sadly. "The isolation was almost soul crushing."

Mara nodded sadly. "I know how that feels."

Luke looked up surprised and a bit confused. "Mara you grew up in the Imperial Court surrounded by people."

She made a dismissive wave of her hand. "I was surrounded by people who were never allowed to know the true me. Even my trainers never were fully briefed as to my status as a Hand or of my connection to the Emperor. I would have made a lousy spy if people knew. So, yes, I was surrounded by people, but I was still emotionally isolated from everyone." A small smile came to her lips. "Even Karrde didn't know about my Force talents or what I did prior to coming into his employment. Your father knew about me and so did Ysanne Isard." Mara paused. "But the first person that I was actually upfront with about my past…was you."

Luke smiled. "Was that when you revealed your true feelings for me on Myrkr…at blaster point?"

She gave him an embarrassed smile. "Maybe." She took a sip of her drink. "At the time I convinced myself that I simply wanted you to know what you were guilty of. It didn't seem right to kill a man who was totally clueless at to why he was going to die."

"See, being a naïve Farmboy does have its benefits. It bought me time to fully utilize my charm and manly magnetism on you."

"Pffff!" Mara snorted in disbelief. "Are you sure I was the only one with a brain injury on Nirauan?"

"I'm fairly certain although you do seem to have an effect on my brain." He grinned. "Next question? And remember, take it easy on me."

She looked up in thought. "You offered to bring me dancing. Do you even know how to dance?"

"Believe it or not, I do. I don't have a lot of practice, but I dare anybody to match me in doing the Ewok Celebration dance. He moved his hands in a swaying motion while he sang, " Yub nub, eee chop yub nub. toe meet toe pee chee keene, g'noop dock fling oh ah" He stood and held out an hand. "Come on, join me, you know the words."

She waved him off. "No way Farmboy, for all you know that was some primitive fertility dance."

He sat back down with a chuckle. "Force, I hope not. Leia was the only woman there and she was surrounded by a dozen Rogue pilots, Lando and Han." His eyebrows shot up. "Maybe _that's_ why she looked so happy that day!"

She convulsed with laughter. "I didn't know you had a sense of humor."

He beamed at her cheerfully. "In the past there wasn't much to laugh about. It seemed like one awful event after another." His smile slipped from his face as he recalled all the war and hardship that he and his friends had suffered. He shook away the thoughts and brought his full attention back to Mara. He wanted to keep this light so he could hopefully earn another day in her company. "Anyway, I do know how to dance. I used to go out with the Rogues to dance clubs and I watched and learned to do some of the common dances. I even know how to do a few dance steps from the classics."

A slim eyebrow rose up. "You know classical dance?"

"Just the Coruscanti Waltz and the Hesitation Two Step."

She looked at him impressed. "Did your sister teach you those?"

"My sister taught me the Waltz, but the Two Step was taught to me by my Aunt Beru." He looked down at the floor embarrassed. "It was for a school dance."

She gave him a warm smile. "I can't imagine a Tatooine farmboy doing a two-step…especially at a school dance. And I could never picture you asking your Aunt to teach you. I thought you would be too shy."

He gave her a sheepish grin. "I didn't ask her. She caught me in my room rehearsing…practicing how to ask a girl to dance. I was looking into a mirror and saying, '_Hi, I'm Luke Skywalker, would you care to dance?'_ or _'I'm Luke would you like to dance with me?'_" He stopped and chuckled at the thought. "Anyway, Aunt Beru caught me and ask who I was going to the dance with. Of course, nobody…but I sort of hoped I could build up the courage to ask a certain girl to dance with me."

Mara leaned back with a grin. "This sounds interesting. Was she your first love?"

Luke shook his head. "No, she didn't even know I existed. I had a crush on her from afar. And I had very little hope of getting a dance with her; she was the most popular girl in school. I told my Aunt that there was little chance of me getting a dance."

"So why did she teach you the two-step…that seems like an odd choice."

"My Aunt went to that very same school when she was my age and she knew the last dance of the night was always the same classical song…it was the school's way of clearing out the gymnasium. She also knew it was rare for a boy to ask a girl to dance since few knew those particular dance steps. She convinced me that if I learned the two-step I probably would be the only boy willing to ask a girl to participate in the last dance. So she taught me." He turned slightly red in the face. "My poor Aunt's feet were probably sore for weeks. I think I stepped on them three out of four times."

Mara smiled widely. "So did you get your dance with your dream girl?"

"I got a dance, but not with my intended dance partner."

"So what happened?" Mara asked.

Luke shook his head not knowing if the story would put him in a good or a bad light. "There's no story. I danced with somebody else, that's all."

She feigned annoyance. "I thought you were going to bare your soul to me…I guess not."

He flushed darkly. "Okay, I'll tell you. I was correct that my crush would be continuously bombarded with dance partners all night. It was the usual jocks, team captains, class leaders, and the cool rich guys with fancy speeders. Finally we came to the last dance and the band took a short break to set up a couple instruments. I had my eyes on her. Her name was Sandra. She was standing across the dance floor laughing with some of her girlfriends when a group of loutish smashball jocks came up behind me talking about who they were going to dance with. I thought it would be Sandra or one of her friends, but they were betting each other to dance with a friend of mine named Daria." He sighed but then continued. "She…I don't know how to put this without sounding crass. She was a bit unattractive, with a bad case of acne and braces. Her family was actually poorer than mine and she wore a hand-me-down dress and didn't have a stylist to do her hair like a lot of the other girls… but she was a really nice girl and smart. She would sometimes tutor me in history." He took a deep breath and continued. "Anyway these guys were betting on who would go dance with her. If the guy had the guts to dance with her they would get so much money from the others and if he could get the girl to kiss them there would be bonus credits. Of course they would all have a good laugh with the guys in the locker room the next day." He shook his head. "It was a cruel hoax."

Mara leaned forward transfixed by this story of Luke's childhood. "Go on."

"Well, when the band started tuning up for the final song I started moving towards Sandra. I could sense one of the smashball players walking behind me and heading toward Daria. At the last second I veered away from Sandra and came to a stop in front of Daria. We both knew each other so it shouldn't have been a complete shock to her, but I could see in her face she was overjoyed. I offered my hand and asked her if she wanted to dance."

He looked over to Mara and he could see her smiling at him. "She said yes and as we turned I noticed the smashball player looking surprised and unsure as to what to do. He turned to his friends and shrugged his shoulders and then I guess he decided to dance with a pretty girl from the _'in crowd'_…so he asked Sandra."

Mara gave him a sad look. "Oh Luke, I'm sorry that you didn't get your dance with your crush."

Luke chuckled. "Don't be. I should have asked Daria to dance way before that. I felt bad because I realized I didn't because my young self was just as shallow as those guys. It turned out well though. Daria and I had a nice dance and I don't think I broke any of her toes that night. And those guys got what was coming to them."

Mara's eyebrows rose. "How so?"

"Well, one of Sandra's friends heard that the smashball players had dared their friend to dance with the most unattractive woman in attendance…and since he danced with her…well her and her friends thought they were trying to insult her. All the cool girls turned a cold shoulder to those guys for the rest of the school year."

Mara laughed as she stood up and walked over to her music player and put on a tune one could do a two-step to. She then walked over and offered Luke her hand, pulling him out of his seat. "I would be honored if you would dance with me."

Luke grinned. "You're not doing this as a cruel bet, are you?"

She pulled him into her arms as they started the dance. "Maybe somebody bet me to dance with the most handsome Jedi in the room."

"Then I am a very lucky that Corran is not here."

She gave him an inviting smile, her eyes dancing as she leaned in closer to him and whispered into his ear. "Shut up and dance, Farmboy."


	4. Chapter 4

_**CHAPTER FOUR**_

Later the next morning Mara was getting ready for Luke's arrival. She was putting on the finishing touches of her make-up and styling her hair. As promised she was going out with the Jedi to lunch and a holo afterwards. As she smoothed out the wrinkles of her silky dress she marveled at how things had changed in the last few weeks. Luke had gone from being a friend, to fiancé, back to friend and now she was going out on a date with him.

Dating Skywalker…it seemed like a foreign concept, but the more she was around him the more plausible a relationship appeared. He had said they loved each other. What was it she saw in Luke that made her cross the line from friends to something more? Maybe over the next few weeks she would find out.

The door buzzer sounded and she quickly made her way to the front door. When she opened it she smiled at the sight of Luke standing there with a nervous grin. His hair was neatly combed which looked so unnatural for him. Usually his hair was a blond wild mop of tresses that looked like it was styled by running his fingers through it. His attire was also different. Gone was his usual black outfit. Today he was wearing a dark grey polo shirt over khaki trousers. A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. He looked good…really, really good.

"Come on in," she said as she ushered him inside. As he entered she gave an appraising look at his backside. The pants were casual, but she had a sneaky suspicion that he had them tailored to his body by the way they hugged his gluts and allowed her to see the play of his muscles underneath. Apparently Luke was not playing games when it came to this 'wooing' business.

He turned and gave her a broad smile as his eyes raked down her body. "You look beautiful, Mara."

She blushed slightly, cursing her body for revealing her pleasure in his comment. "Thank you. I like your outfit."

He smiled that quick boyish grin that always made her heart flutter and knees weak. "Thanks. I hoped you would like it. I know how much you dislike my all black wardrobe."

She frowned slightly. "Who told you that?" It was true, but she didn't recall ever professing her dislike of that color to him.

His face reddened and he quickly averted his eyes. "Nobody told me, it was something I picked up…you know, during our bond." He gave her an apologetic look and then held out his arm. "Shall we go?"

She knew he was changing the subject, but she didn't mind. She honestly didn't want to know exactly what memories Luke gleaned from her brain on that fateful day on Nirauan.

They hadn't gotten out the door when Luke's comlink went off. He gave a pained expression. "Shavit! I forgot to turn it off." He pulled it out to see who was calling. "It's my sister." He then put the comlink back into his pocket without answering it.

"Aren't you going to see what she wants?" Mara asked.

Luke shook his head. "I think Leia can survive a few hours without me."

Mara shook her head. "Luke it could be important. It could involve the Caamas document Artoo retrieved."

The comlink started beeping again. He pulled it out and gave a sour look. "It's her again," he groaned and then reluctantly answered the call. "Luke here."

Luke had the device on private so she couldn't hear the other side of the conversation. After a slight pause Luke responded. "How about Han?" Luke listened and grimaced. "Winter?" Another pause. "Can't they stay alone?" Luke glanced up at Mara and then turned his back to her and walked a couple steps away. He was whispering into the device but Mara could still make out his side of the conversation. "Leia, I'm on a date…yes a date…yes with a woman."

Mara suppressed a laugh.

"Yes, yes Leia…it's with Mara. Sorry, I just can't help you today."

Mara didn't know what the problem was, but she could feel Luke's distress. He wanted to help his sister, but he didn't want to break their date. "Luke, it's okay," she called out. "We can go out tomorrow."

Luke turned to her and made a face. "Leia can put you on hold for a moment." He put the device on mute before addressing Mara. "Mara, Leia was called to the senate for an emergency meeting. She needs somebody to watch the kids and her normal sitters are out of the area."

"Then go," she said while moving her hands in a shooing motion. "It's alright."

He gave her a panicked look. "I really don't want to do it, that's the problem. They are three hyperactive pre-teens—it's too much for me to handle alone."

Mara rolled her eyes. "You can face Vader and Palpatine single-handedly, but not three younglings." She heaved a sigh. "Fine, I'll go with you."

A smile blossomed across Luke's face. "Really?"

"Yes," she reassured him.

"Thank you Mara!" He turned the comlink back on. "Okay Leia I can be there in less than an hour; send me the address. Thanks! See you soon."

He turned off the communication device and gave Mara a warm smile. "I owe you one." He looked at the door. "I need to get my swimsuit. They are over at Splash Universe."

Mara's face fell. "You didn't say they were at a waterpark!"

The smile slipped from his face. "Does this mean you're not going?"

She made an exasperated sound. "No, I'll go. Let me get my suit."

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Splash Universe was Coruscant's premiere indoor water park. There was dozens of various slides, wading pools, lap pools, a ten level treehouse water fun adventure area, a lazy river ride, shooting arcades and for the adults a hot tub and spa area. The park was full of millions of liters of flowing water and it was also full of loud, boisterous children. As Luke watched hundreds of young children jump and splash he wondered if a Jedi Master and a former Emperor's Hand were up for this mission.

"Luke!" he heard his sister's voice over the din of children's screams. He turned and saw Leia wearing street clothes walking up to him with her three children in tow. The boys were wearing baggy swim shorts and Jaina a modest one-piece swimsuit. "Luke thank you for coming," Leia said as she gave her brother a hug. She turned to Mara. "And thank you for coming Mara. I appreciate your help." Leia motioned to her children. "I've been promising to bring them here for months and I had to cancel twice because of Senate meetings. I didn't want to disappoint them a third time."

Luke smiled at his niece and nephews. "I'm glad I can help."

"The changing rooms are that way," Leia pointed in to a side hallway. She moved a step closer to Luke, "Keep an eye on them, since the existence of the Caamas Document became known there has been an increase in the security threat."

Luke gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. "They'll be fine, Leia." He looked over to Mara. "Mara and I will keep them safe. Now go."

Leia gave her children a withering gaze. "Don't give your uncle Luke or Miss Jade a hard time!"

The children gave their most innocent _'who me?'_look which was such a classic Han Solo expression that Luke had to laugh.

"We'll be good Mom," they said in unison.

Leia gave them a skeptical look, but then turned back to Luke and Mara. "I'll be back as soon as possible. Thanks again." With that she gave a wave and left the building.

Luke pointed to the changing room. "Mara, why don't you go and change and I'll watch the kids, then I'll change when you get back."

Mara nodded and left to go to the locker room.

Luke watched the seductive sway of her hips as she sauntered down the hall. She had changed from the dress she intended to wear for their lunch date and into casual shorts and tunic, but he had to admit she filled those shorts out perfectly. He turned back to the kids and found them grinning ear-to-ear.

"I think Uncle Luke's in love," Jaina said in a mischievous sing-song voice. "Are you dating Miss Jade?"

Jacen and Anakin smirked. "Is she going to be our new aunt?"

Luke rolled his eyes. "We're just friends."

"She's pretty, Uncle Luke." Jacen said.

"Yes, she it," Luke said softly while hoping Mara would finish dressing so his interrogation would be over.

"You should get married," Jaina said with a serious expression.

"Yeah," Anakin agreed. "Dad said it would help with your tension."

Luke looked at his nephew confused. "Tension, what tension?"

Anakin shrugged. "Don't know, but dad thought Miss Jade would help with your tension."

Luke ran a hand over his face in embarrassment. He was going to need to talk to Han about discussing personal information in front of little ears.

"You have to get married, Uncle Luke," Anakin said earnestly. "It would be neat to have cousins."

"I'll see what I can do about that." Luke said with a soft laugh.

"Mom and Dad like Miss Jade," Jaina said. "Mom said it's because she's good at saving you after you run into danger."

"Dad said you like her because you like dangerous woman," Anakin said then turned to his brother. "What did Dad say about that again? It was something about Miss Jade and Uncle Luke's lightsaber."

"Stop!" Luke said. "I don't want to hear what your dad has to say about me and Mara."

"Wow!" Jacen said suddenly. "There's Miss Jade now."

Luke turned in the direction Jacen was pointing and his jaw dropped. "Wow!" Luke agreed. Mara walked toward them wearing a teal colored, one-piece swimsuit with plunging neckline. Luke couldn't pull his eyes from her luscious figure. He sighed deeply as he realized how close he was to having this gorgeous woman as his wife. He loved her so much and he bemoaned the fact that he had only a few weeks to convince her that they were meant for each other.

"Your turn," Mara said. "I'll watch the younglings."

Luke didn't hesitate in moving to the locker room. He knew his niece and nephews probably sensed the emotions rolling off of him and he didn't need more questions.

Mara turned to the kids and gave them a small smile. "Having fun so far?"

"Yes, this place is great," Jaina said. "Are you dating Uncle Luke?"

Mara closed her eyes and struggled to maintain her calm façade. "We're friends."

"That's what Uncle Luke says, but I think he likes you more than friends," Jacen said.

"That may be, but we're still just friends." Mara walked over to a wall that had a giant poster showing the location of all the amenities of the waterpark. "What do you kids want to do first?"

"The whirlpool!" Anakin said excitedly.

Mara looked at the directory and discovered 'The Whirlpool' was a waterslide where you enter a large bowl shaped area and then spun around and around like the contents of a large 'fresher toilet before you plunged down a tube and flushed into a large wading pool. Mara grimaced, not liking the visualization. "How about the Lazy River ride?" Mara turned to find the children frowning.

"That's for babies and old people," Anakin said. "How about the surfing simulator?"

Mara looked back to the board and saw that was a place where water was shot up a small hill at a high speed. A person at the top would mount either a small body board or a surf board and ride the up rushing water like a surfer in the ocean. Mara smirked. She never had a desire to surf but she would love to see a farm boy from a desert planet try his hand at it.

They looked over the directory for a few more minutes before Jaina called out impatiently. "Finally! There's Uncle Luke."

Mara turned and her breath arrested in her lungs. She didn't realize how amazing Luke looked bare-chested and clothed only a pair of small, butt-hugging swim shorts. Her eyes gazed over his finely toned chest and abs and then drifted down to his strong muscular legs. She had seen him shirtless before during her short stay at the Academy. She was impressed then, but the fact that here he was in his late thirties and looked even better now didn't seem fair. She had to grudgingly admit that he certainly improved with age.

Luke smiled broadly. "You guys ready?"

"Yes," the children replied enthusiastically before a large chime in the distance caught their attention. Jaina grabbed her uncle's hand and Anakin grabbed hold of Mara's arm and pulled the adults to the direction of the bells. "You have to see this!" Jaina said with a laugh. "It's so cool!" They stopped in an open area where dozens of people gathered all grinning in anticipation.

"What's going on?" was all Mara could get out before a thousand liters of water dumped down on her and the rest of the patrons. Mara let out a loud shout of surprise as she heard Luke laughing. She looked up and saw a monstrous bucket tilt back into place far above her.

"The bucket fills up and when the chimes ring it means it will dump all the water out." Jacen said happily.

"You could have given me a heads up on that, Jacen," Mara said curtly.

"What's the fun in that?" Jacen said as the quickly moved toward the water slides.

"I'm glad I took the time to braid my hair," Mara said as she readjusted her suit. She turned and glared at Luke. "You knew that was going to happen! Why didn't you warn me?"

Luke tried to keep a straight face but failed miserably. "What's the fun in that?"

Mara gave him a playful smack on the shoulder as they followed after the Solo kids who had grabbed an inner tube and were climbing up a set of stairs to the entrance of the waterslides. Luke picked up a two person tube and motioned to the stairs. "Come on, we'll go together."

They made it to the top where a Splash Universe employee was instructing patrons when they could start down the slide. Luke positioned the two-person tube at the start point and let Mara climb into the front part. He then positioned himself behind her, her body cradled between his legs. He put his arms around her waist just as the employee gave them a push down the slide.

The ride was fast, wet and wild and full of twists and turns, but Mara barely registered the journey outside of the feel of Luke's strong arms around her body and the side of his legs pressing against her hips. Luke leaned forward and she could feel him press his cheek to the side of her head as he whispered into her ear. "This is fun."

She grudgingly had to admit this was fun. She couldn't believe that she had never been to a water park before. Of course, it wasn't a place a single woman would usually consider going to alone. It was a family establishment and she had no family. Of course, if Luke had his way, he would change that.

They shot out of a large tube and into a wading area. Park employees advised them to move out of the splash zone. They got to their feet and moved to the end of the pool. Luke was grinning like a little boy and seemed to enjoy the water as much as the Solo children who scrambled out of the water.

"Let's go to the surf area," they announced and then left without waiting for Luke or Mara to respond. Mara and Luke arrived to the surfing spot in time to see Jacen get on a board. To Mara's surprise he was surfing like a pro.

Luke chuckled. "He's using the Force." He motioned to a kiosk just outside the pool area. "I'm going to get a waterproof digital imager. I'd like to get some pictures."

When Luke came back Jaina was on the board and doing equally as well as her brother. Luke shot a few images while shaking his head. "She's also using the Force."

Mara turned to him with a grin. "Do you think you could do better Farmboy…without the Force?"

Luke shrugged his shoulders. "Probably not, but part of the fun is learning a skill. It feels like cheating when you use the Force in a sport."

Mara chuckled. "They're not getting paid to surf, so I don't see any harm." She gave him an evil grin. "I would like to see you try it without using the Force."

Luke made a snort. "I bet you would."

"No really, I would love to see you try."

He smiled with a glint of amusement. "What will you give me if I do?"

She scoffed. "Nothing but a good laugh when you fall on your butt."

"How about a kiss for my efforts if I do it without the Force."

"No." She shook her head. "Anyway, how would I know if you used the Force or not?"

"You can tell when people are using the Force. Besides," he motioned to Anakin who looked like he was born and raised on a board. "If you see me that comfortable on the surfboard you'll know this desert boy is cheating."

She gave him a long hard look before deciding. "No kiss, but maybe you'll get a second date if you impress me up there."

Luke smiled brightly as he handed Mara the digital imager. "Here, you can take a few photos for your scrap book." He then climbed up the stairs and waited for a couple teenagers in front of him to wipe out before the resort employee handed Luke the mini-surf board. Luke positioned the board on the edge of the drop off and balanced himself on top. He then did what he saw the other people do, he shifted his weight to push the board over the edge. As promised he didn't use the Force and he immediately knew he was in trouble. Surfing was a lot harder than it looked. He managed to stay upright for a few seconds before the board came out from under his feet and was washed up stream. He ended up falling downhill, his head pointing down toward the upward rushing water. The fast moving stream of water hit him with such force that it actually pushed him up the hill like he was body surfing. He then felt his shorts creeping down his legs, being pulled from his body by the rushing current. He grabbed the front of his pants and held it in place and then he reached back and pulled his shorts back up over his buttocks. He hoped nobody saw that, but the sound of Mara laughing told him he wasn't that lucky. When he finally made his way to the bottom of the water ride Mara and Leia's kids were laughing so hard they were almost hyperventilating. And to Luke's horror, a small group of giggling teenage girls was also at the bottom of the ride with their smart-link devices (comlinks with photo, video and other applications) in hand.

He walked up to Mara looking mortified. "Did you get any good photos?"

Mara was still laughing. "Farmboy, I got some very revealing photos." She motioned her head to the group of girls. "I think they did also. I expect you to be plastered all over the teenage holonet social groups by the end of the day, if not already."

"Funny, Mara." Luke tightened up the draw strings in the front of his suit. When he got next to her he wrapped his arms around her waist and drew her close to him. "Why don't we give them something to talk about?" He then leaned in and gave her a gentle, but quick kiss on the lips.

She looked a bit surprised by his boldness, but she recovered quickly. "I think you naked butt cheeks are probably far more interesting than you kissing me."

Luke gave her a classic Han Solo grin. "I can do both if you like." He gave her a wink. "When we get somewhere more private, that is."

"I meant to the giggling teens," she clarified.

"Can I see the photos Miss Jade," Jaina asked while reaching out to the imager.

Mara pulled the imager out of the young girls reach. "No, these images are for my eyes only…and maybe for a few close friends…like the Wild Karrde crew." She smirked at Luke. "Or Han or your sister."

"Give me that," Luke said as he made a grab for the imager.

"No way," Mara laughed as she ran off, until an employee admonished her for running around the pools.

For the next few hours the small group went on every slide and ride in the park. Mara's skin was starting to pucker up from being in the water so long, but the kids didn't appear to be slowing down at all. They finally decided to try their luck on the indoor climbing wall. Mara and Luke instead opted to watch them from the "adults only" hot tubs that lined the outer walls of the establishment.

They found an empty sauna and slid into the extremely warm water. Mara allowed Luke to sit next to her, their thighs touching, and even tolerated his arm around her shoulder. She hadn't had this much fun since…well, since never. She smiled at him warmly. "This was fun."

He nodded. "It was. We should do it again…next time I'll wear suspenders on my suit."

She laughed. "You were cute."

"Me or my butt?" Luke laughed.

She gave him a long gaze. "Both." She gave him a curious look. "Did we kiss while on Nirauan?"

He hesitated for a moment. "Yes."

"Did I like it?"

A reminiscent smile crossed his face. "Very much; we both did."

She leaned in closer to him. "I'd like to try that again. Maybe it will bring back memories?"

He moved closer to her, his lips caressing her face before his lips moved over hers, giving her a gentle kiss.

"Ooohhhhhh I see them kissing!" came Jaina's voice from high above.

Luke and Mara looked up and spied Jaina as she neared the peak of the rock wall.

"Next time we do this, let's do it minus the kids," Mara said.

Luke smiled as he pulled her close. "So does this mean I get another date?"

She nodded. "If you let me keep the digital imager I might give you two more dates."

He laughed as he leaned in for another warm, lingering kiss. "You have a deal."


	5. Chapter 5

Luke nervously stood outside Mara's apartment door. Their date at the waterpark turned out fantastic and he was thrilled that Mara was warming up to him and they even kissed…and kissed...wow that was some kiss. It was amazing. He swore to himself that he would give her a day to herself. He didn't want to look like he was stalking her, but he couldn't bear to be away from her when he knew that in less than three weeks she would be back to her job and they would once again be apart from each other for weeks if not months at a time. He needed to take every opportunity from now until the end of her medical leave to convince her to marry him.

_'Enough with the stalling,'_he thought as he depressed the door buzzer. After a few moments Mara opened the door and gave him a knowing smirk.

"You don't ever let up, do you?" She tried to sound irritated but Luke could sense she was happy to see him.

Luke smiled broadly as he lifted up a bag of Tarisian take out. "I was in the neighborhood and happened to have Tarisian spiced ribs and thought I would stop by."

She gave an amused chuckle. "The only Tarisian restaurant anywhere near my apartment is thirty kilometers away and you just happen to have my favorite dish…I think you are trying to seduce me Master Skywalker."

"You think?" Luke chuckled. "Well, if you don't want the ribs maybe Chewie will want them." He turned to leave but Mara grabbed him by his tunic sleeve.

"No way Farmboy, you are not leaving with those ribs." She gave him a happy, relaxed smile. "Come on in."

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"Force, that was good," Luke said as he finished up the last rib and attempted to rid his face and hands of the dripping spice sauce that covered the meat by using most of the paper towels in her apartment. "But they are messy." He looked up to Mara and grinned. "You have a little bit of sauce right here." He pointed to his face on the side of his mouth.

Mara picked up a napkin and wiped the side of her face. "Here?"

"You got it."

She put down the napkin and then gazed at him with deep green eyes. "I don't think I ever thanked you."

He gave her a confused look. "For the ribs? I think you thanked me a dozen times during this meal."

She shook her head. "No, for saving me on Nirauan. You always seem to be there when I need you."

He gave her a warm smile. "And you were always there for me. You saved my life twice on Wayland alone. Then you kept me from breaking my neck against the docking bay bulkhead of the _Starry Ice_."

She shook her head in both amusement and disbelief. "Cold shirting across a vacuum while in a hibernation trace had to be the stupidest thing you had ever done."

His eyes glinted in amusement. "It was worth it though. I woke up in the most pleasant position—straddling the most beautiful woman in the galaxy."

She picked up a balled up napkin and tossed it at him but didn't have a snarky retort like he expected.

"I should have told you I was just getting comfortable," Luke grinned.

"What?"

"When you asked me, '_So. You want to get off me, or were you just getting comfortable?'_I should have said I was just getting comfortable."

She scoffed. "Now,_ that _would have been the stupidest thing you had ever done."

He nodded in agreement. "Probably, we weren't ready then."

She glanced up sharply at him. "What do you mean then?" She stared at him accusingly. "Did we do more than kiss while on Nirauan?"

He sat back in his chair, his face flushed darkly. "We did a little more than kiss, but we didn't have sex, if that is what you are getting at."

Her eyes narrowed as she glared at him suspiciously. "I agreed to marry you, we were facing certain death, we kissed...and then did a little more than kiss…but we didn't spend what remaining hours of life we had having hot sex?"

The blood drained from his face. "Gods, no Mara!"

Her expression was severe. "Well, why the Hell not? I was the last woman you were going to see before your untimely demise, I accepted your proposal for marriage and you still didn't want to make out with me?"

Luke's eyes went wide in shock. "Mara, we were cold, wet, covered in mud and firecreeper guano."

She folded her arms across her chest and turned away from him. "I guess I wasn't good enough for you."

"What?" Luke paused as he saw the corners of her mouth twitch. He realized she was teasing him. She had caught him off guard because Mara rarely teased him…harass and mock him maybe, but never good natured teasing. He decided two could play this game. "Okay Mara, you win. We did have mind-blowing sex. You told me I was the best you've ever had. Nobody could bring you to the apex of ecstasy like I did. And then you said I had an awesome body and a tremendously large…understanding of the female body and how to satisfy your needs. Sorry, I know I should have told you earlier."

"You are a terrible liar, Luke." Mara broke down in laughter. "That sounds like something Lando would lie about."

Weeks ago that comment would have caused a spike of jealousy, but through their bond he knew she had told him the truth when she said there was nothing between her and Lando—that they were simply posing as a couple for a mission.

"How bad was he to be around?" Luke asked.

She rolled her eyes. "He's lucky he survived the mission. He tried every pick up line in the book."

"There's a book?" Luke joked. "Tell me some. If I can't convince you to go out with me I may have to try some of those Holonet dating sites."

She tried to stifle a smile as she recalled Lando's antics. "I only remember a few. One was_ 'Do you have a map? I just got lost in your eyes._'"

Luke made a groaning sound. "Even Rogue pilots wouldn't use a line that corny."

She laughed. "Then one day he said to me, _'I envy your lipstick'_ or then there was, '_Look at you, with all those curves, and me with no brakes.'_

"No, he didn't!" Luke laughed.

She nodded with an incredulous look on her face. "Then he said, _'Is it hot in here, or is it just you?'_, but his all time bad pick-up line was, '_You look great in that dress, but do you know what would really look good on you? Me.'_"

"And he's still alive?"

Mara gave him an evil grin. "That last one pushed me a little past my breaking point. We were alone in his stateroom, so I whipped out my lightsaber and pointed the blade at his crotch. I told him if he didn't knock it off I would neuter him."

Luke crossed his legs and brought his hands down to his groin in a protective manner. "Ouch, Mara." He gave her a wide-eyed look. "I hope I don't say anything to you to get that treatment."

She gave him a dismissive gesture. "You are too smart for that, Luke."

"Was there any of his lines that might work for me?" He asked curious.

Her eyes shone. "I don't know. If things continue to go well with these dates…maybe his '_I would love to make you breakfast_' line might work."

Luke's eyebrows rose up. "Really?"

She blushed. "Not now though."

He gave her a warm smile. Things were going better than he ever imagined. He wasn't going to push things along too fast.

He leaned in and stared at her face intensely. "You missed a spot of sauce," he said while pointing to her mouth.

"Oh." Mara picked up the napkin and wiped her face. "Is it gone?"

Luke shook his head. "No, let me help." He picked up his napkin and went to wipe her face but at the last minute he leaned in and kissed her. He didn't know what to expect, but he was pleasantly surprised when she didn't pull away but leaned in to return the kiss.

As they pulled apart she smiled at him seductively. "You must really love that sauce."

He grinned. "Yes, but the woman under the sauce is tastier."

She groaned. "Oh, that is such a bad line."

He straightened and pulled her out of her seat. "Sorry. Would you like to catch a holo?"

She shook her head. "No, but I have some holo-rentals I haven't watched."

He gave her a wide smile as they walked over to her couch and sat down. "Which ones?"

She handed him a holo-cube. "I heard about this holo from your brother-in-law."

Luke's face fell. "_Luke Skywalker and the Dragons of Tatooine_!" He shook his head and tried to get up but she grabbed him by the waistband of his pants and pulled him back to the couch.

"Watch it with me and maybe you will get another date."

"Mara, that was a low budget holo that came out during my rebellion days." He feigned a pained look when he realized he wasn't getting out of this. "Alright, if I have too."

She got up and put the cube in the machine. She sat back down and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "You have to."


	6. Chapter 5: Part 2

_**Chapter Five-Part Two**_

The holo flickered on with the movie title blazing above the holoprojector: _LUKE SKYWALKER AND THE DRAGONS OF TATOOINE!_This was followed by the sight of an X-Wing fighter coming out of orbit and landing on a vast desert plain. The cockpit canopy popped open to show the pilot taking off his helmet to survey the landscape. He was blond and with a cleft chin…but that was pretty much the extent of his resemblance to the real Luke Skywalker.

Mara started laughing as the holo showed a very large actor climb out of the X-Wing and hop down to the desert floor. He was almost as tall as a Wookiee, with broad shoulders and a thin waist. Even though he wore a bulky orange flight suit Mara could see the bulging muscles of the man move under the clothing. She turned to her companion sitting next to her. "Luke, you really let yourself go since your rebellion days."

Luke gave her a tight smile. "That is Tondarz Trivette, six-time Galactic Bodybuilding Champion. He is about two heads taller than me and outweighs me by fifty kilograms. Why anybody would cast him to play Luke Skywalker I'll never understand."

Mara gave a hoot. "Oh, I understand!" At that point in the show the actor playing Luke had unzipped his flight suit and took off the top half, tying the sleeves around his waist. He was wearing a very shear tank top underneath that gave the audience an excellent view of his physique.

Luke gave a groan. "You aren't attracted to big muscular guys like that, are you?"

Mara smirked. "No, I'm attracted to small guys like you." She then laughed when Luke scowled at her.

The actor spent the next half hour moving around the desert sweating—his muscles glistening and flexing. Mara turned to Luke. "There is not much plot, is there?"

He shook his head. "Nope, There's just a big, sweaty, muscular guy, waving a lightsaber and later slaying a non-existent fire breathing dragon. They could have at least used a Krayt Dragon in the movie."

Mara shushed him as the hero crested a dune and saw a scantily clad woman tied to a post in the distance. The actor ran to the beautiful woman and untied her. She was disorientated from the heat but she was able to look up at the huge man holding her in his arms and say, "Who are you?"

"I'm Luke Skywalker, I'm here to rescue you!"

Mara just about fell out of her seat laughing. "Isn't that the line you gave your sister on the Death Star?"

Luke blushed. "Yes Mara. Can we turn this off?"

She tried to answer a couple times but continued laughing. Finally she composed herself long enough to say, "No, I want to see how this ends."

"It ends like all action movies. The hero gets the girl."

Mara gave him a wry look. "Is that how our story is going to end?"

He smiled. "I hope so." Luke looked up to the holo and covered his eyes. "I hate this part."

The actor and actress were now kissing and it was quickly turning into a romance scene. The fell down to the sand and were in an ardent embrace, kissing passionately. Mara frowned. "Luke you really should have brought that woman to a medical facility. She surely was suffering from heat stroke and dehydration."

"I know," Luke said with a mock look of embarrassment. "I really was a cad back then…taking advantage of disorientated women." He watched the scene and shook his head. "If they actually did that on the Tatooine desert they would get second degree burns…and the sand…they would be scrubbing sand out of…well, just about everywhere. Who has sex on desert sand?"

Mara started laughing again. "So this isn't a documentary? You don't sacrifice virgins to the sun gods to ensure a good water harvest?"

Luke snickered. "Luckily, no. If they did, me and half of the members of my school 's Droid-botics club would have been thrown to the dragons."

She laughed and then gave him a slow, knowing smile. "Luke Skywalker never got lucky while on Tatooine?"

He shook his head. "No, it didn't happen for me until after the battle of Yavin."

"Oh, the Rogue pilot scores. Who was she?"

Luke looked away. "I don't want to talk about that, Mara."

She crossed her arms across her chest. "I thought you wanted me to know everything about you. Don't you have knowledge about me?"

Luke sighed. "It's just that it wasn't my best moment. The Rogues got me drunk and I mean drunk. I woke up with two naked women in bed with me. I grabbed my clothes and ran out of my barracks room totally panicked. I don't know who they were and I don't know if we actually had sex." He looked away. "That is not something I would do sober and I am not proud of it. I don't take advantage of women."

Mara smirked. "It sounds like they might have taken advantage of you or the Rogues were playing a trick on you. That is a very common prank for military guys. You find your friend passed out and you then put him in a very compromising position so he wakes up in a panic."

Luke simply shrugged. Mara was about to say something else when the actor on the holo was attacked by a fire breathing dragon. The muscle-bound actor ignited a blue lightsaber and attacked the creature. After a series of back flips, front flips, cartwheels and other computer generated special effects the actor was successful in dispatching the dragon. There was then another mushy love scene between the actor and actress before the holo faded to black.

They sat silently for a moment. Luke was embarrassed by what he revealed about his Rogue days. Mara glanced over to him and gave him a wan smile. "Luke, don't be embarrassed. You said that when we bonded I saw everything about you…and I fell in love. The fact that you are not bragging about that event in your life tells me you are a good, kind man." She hesitated for a moment. "And knowing you, it probably was a Rogue prank."

He looked down at his hands in his lap. "Thanks Mara."

She leaned closer to him rested her head on his shoulder. "I'm not ready for the Force bonding…but I think I am ready to take this relationship to the next level"

Luke felt his stomach flip flop nervously. "What do you mean exactly?"

She reached a hand up to caress his face. "I mean we start with kissing, then maybe a little more than kissing…and see where it goes from there."

Luke chest tightened and he was having trouble breathing. Finally his chest loosened enough for him to form words. "That sounds… wonderful." He then leaned in and kissed her hungrily.

.

.

.

The morning light passing through his bedroom curtains woke Luke early the next day. He turned and smiled when he saw Mara lying next to him. He snuggled up next to her, his warm flesh pressing against hers. He kissed along her jaw line and then gave her earlobe a gentle nibble. "Wake up sleepyhead," he whispered to her. "Do you want me to make you breakfast?"

She turned over and blinked at him with sleepy eyes. "See, that pick-up line did work for you."

He pulled her into his arms and gave her a passionate kiss. "I'd like to try another pick-up line. Will you marry me?"

She gave him a long contemplative look that made him nervous that she was going to say no. "Does that mean you will stop wooing me? Because I have come to like all the attention…especially the attention you gave me last night."

He smiled. "I will never stop wooing you. We can be married fifty years and I will still be your eager lover."

"Well then," she said with a smirk. "My answer is yes."

Luke felt like an enormous pressure was taken off his shoulders and he gave a happy sigh of relief. For the first time since their return from Nirauan he dared to believe that maybe this story was going to work out like the Holos—where the hero wins the heart and hand of the beautiful maiden. "Thank you Mara, thank you." He pulled her into his warm embrace as he buried his head into her shoulder. He was so happy he couldn't help but shed tears of joy.

He pulled away from her and tried to covertly wipe them away, but then he saw Mara was crying also. She reached up and wiped a tear off his cheek. "You don't have to hide your joy. I feel it to. It's a mixture of happiness and relief that you finally found somebody to travel with you in this journey of life. It is an amazing feeling."

Luke broke out in a wide smile. "It's a feeling I want to last forever."

Mara pulled him to her for a lingering kiss. When their lips parted she said, "Yes, forever."


End file.
